Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight , Melinda Pavey, and Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Andrew Constance, released the Future Transport 2056 draft regional strategy, which outlines improvements to the network over the coming decades.

Better regional inter-connectivity, enhanced East-West links and easier access to ports and other facilities will be an important focus, along with improving safety, reliability, efficiency and integrating services.

Ms Pavey said freight is also a vital part of this plan with predictions it will double across metropolitan areas and increase 25 per cent regionally by 2056

“That’s a big number and an even bigger task to manage these increases safely, especially with the regional population expected to top 3.6 million over the same period.

“Some of this will be managed through technology driven improvements, but a lot of it will be through offering customers safe and reliable choices. We want to grow the industry as a whole and give people new and different travel options, not even dreamt of a decade ago.”

Some of the transport projects identified for investigation for regional NSW include:

Light rail/mass transit connections to Tweed Heads and Queanbeyan

Extensions of the electric rail network into Bathurst, Goulburn Telarah and Bombaderry

Upgrading and sealing major roads like the Kidman Way, Barrier Highway, New England Highway, and Sturt Highway amongst others

Better connections between regional communities with larger centres, such as the expansion of a booked bus service trial currently underway between Tottenham, Albert and Dubbo

Express bus trial to better link Lennox Head, Ballina and Lismore

Continuing the Fixing Country Rail program which will look at line reactivations where there is the potential for significant freight demand

Mr Constance said the state is undergoing a once in a lifetime transformation, but it can’t pack its bags and stop thinking about what the future looks like.

“Five years ago, we provided a blueprint about what transport would begin to look like over the next 20 years. With most of those projects either being built now or in planning, it is time to refresh the blueprint given what we’ve achieved. This time we’re looking at what’s possible over the next 40 years, not 20.”

Future Transport 2056 is a comprehensive strategy to ensure the way we travel is more personal, integrated, accessible, safe, reliable and sustainable. There are three parts to the strategy: programs that are committed to or funded by the NSW Government over the next ten years; projects that are under investigation; and visionary projects in the 20 year plus timeframe that are being identified now for future consideration as our population grows.

The draft Future Transport 2056 strategy will be open for comment until 3 December 2017.